mediocracy is not acceptable when your future depends upon others.

The Cost of a Flawed Inspection Report: A Cautionary Tale for Flooring Professionals

By Selva Lee Tucker and John Paul Viveiros

Imagine losing $40,000 when the real correction could have cost less than $10,000. That’s not just lost profit—it’s a devastating financial and reputational blow.

In this case, a flooring contractor not only spent more than he invoiced, but also lost a client. The ripple effect—unmeasurable in terms of future business—was the direct result of a flawed inspection report.

What Went Wrong?

The inspection report claimed that the air pressure differential between the crawl space and the exterior INCREASED the permeability (perm rating) of the foundation’s concrete blocks, effectively blaming the blocks themselves.

But here’s the truth:

Permeability is an intrinsic property of a material—it does not change with air pressure differentials.

Pressure gradients only drive the movement of air or moisture through permeable materials; they don’t alter the material’s perm rating.

In other words, the inspector’s conclusion was scientifically unsound and misleading. 

1) Permeability: the ability of a porous medium to allow fluid (liquid or gas) to pass through.

2) Pressure: the driving force that moves air or moisture from high to low pressure.

3) Fundamental principle: Hot to Cold, Wet to Dry.

These basics—simple, essential concepts—are often overlooked by untrained professionals, yet they are critical to accurate flooring assessments. When ignored, the results can be catastrophic.

Because of the flawed report:

A) The flooring contractor’s lawyer had little ground for negotiation.

B) The judge ruled against the contractor.

C) The inspector was deemed not qualified as an expert witness.

D) Costs skyrocketed due to attorney fees, court costs, and delayed corrections.

E) Because of a simple technical error, not understanding what Perm Ratings are, and the basics of "Hot to Cold, Wet to Dry", the inspector was ruled by the judge not to be a QUALIFIED EXPERT WITNESS.

All of this could have been avoided with a fact-based, science-backed inspection report written by an inspector trained in the science of building and flooring systems.

A certified inspector is not necessarily an educated inspector. 

Certification may demonstrate completion of a program or passing a test, but without the foundation of true science-based training and practical, field-tested knowledge, an inspector can easily misinterpret conditions or misapply principles. 

This lack of deeper education puts at risk not only their own reputations but also the livelihoods, financial stability, and trust of the flooring contractors, attorneys, and clients who depend on "CERTIFIED INSPECTORS" their   assessments.

When the inspector does not know the basics, their faulty assessments can cause damage beyond acceptable for a proclaimed expert. 

A certified inspector is only an expert if he is Educated in his field of expertise. 

At the Flooring Inspectors Educational Guild, Our Goal Is Education Beyond Certification.

Because in the end, an uneducated inspector can cost far more than money—they can cost businesses their future.

They walk and work among us. Don’t let them walk onto your job. 

Ask if your inspector has been to Guild Classes, and only use Educated Inspectors. 

This was a requested report review.  

One issue the inspector did not address in his report was the benefits of a sealed crawl space, and that vents allow moisture also into the crawl space. Since his report focused solely on the concrete blocks foundation, we only addressed that issue. 

If you would like more information on crawl spaces, we highly recommend you visit Dr. DeWitt's CV, and if needed, use his contact page to help you with any crawl space issues. He wrote the first studies and standards on sealing Crawl Spaces.